49ers MUST NOT Keep Three Quarterbacks Into the Regular Season

Keeping three quarterbacks is a luxury the 49ers cannot afford right now.

Luxuries are a great thing to have.

If you can afford a specific luxury, then everything is gravy. However, not everyone is able to have that leeway.

When it comes to the 49ers, they do not have the luxury of carrying three quarterbacks into the regular season. The majority of teams in the league do not do this anymore. This is a washed up idea of the past that most coaches have caught on to. Why waste the time and effort on a third string quarterback when you can put that spot to better use elsewhere?

Kyle Shanahan has been going into the season with three quarterbacks for years now. That’s his philosophy, but it actually sounds like he’s budging on the three quarterbacks idea.

“I would like to. We've got three guys who can play, so I would definitely like to, but that's, the tough thing about the 53. Where do you go extra at another position? How do you go under? Are you going to lose guys? What’s the practice squad? If it's as simple as we have three quarterbacks that can help us, then yes we will.”

The 49ers MUST NOT keep three quarterbacks going into the regular season.

This team has plenty more needs for that extra roster spot than a third string quarterback. The reality is that if a team is trotting out their third string quarterback, the season is practically over at that point. It would benefit the 49ers so much more to use that roster spot towards other positions on the team.

Depth is a concern at cornerback and possibly still safety. Those are areas the 49ers can look to strengthen with that quarterback spot. Or they can even decide to keep one of their many solid defensive linemen. You can never have too much depth with defensive linemen, and having that much quality there will go a long way for the 49ers. Also, rather than just cutting one of them and allowing a team to pick them up for free, the 49ers could possibly ship one out for a trade. All of this serves the 49ers better than a third-string quarterback.

I know Jimmy Garoppolo is an injury-prone player, but Trey Lance has never shown that. There’s no reason to start being fearful with Lance. And even if he does sustain an injury along with Garoppolo, then Nate Sudfield is not going to be serviceable for more than one game. The guy BARELY, if it all, gets a couple scrimmage reps. Most teams when their starting quarterback goes down, the season is over. If Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, or any other stud quarterback misses significant time, it’s done for that team. But the 49ers have two quarterbacks they can trot out as the starter.

That already IS their luxury.

Keeping three quarterbacks at this point is just plain paranoia from Garoppolo’s injuries and the mass amount of injuries last season. It is an extensive luxury they cannot afford and would be a wild move to make.